This is of our travels through England and the United Kingdom.
I arrived at the Gatwick Airport on March 13 and found out good ol' US Airways lost my luggage of which I put my camera in. I checked into my lodging sponsor the Travel Joy Hostels and took one of them double-decker buses to tour London. I couldn't film it though. It really sucked because the next day I recovered my luggage, picked up my good friend Debi and we rented a car only to have to film the city and it's sites from inside the car...I'll tell you why in a minute.
I had to learn how to do drive on the wrong side of the road and on the wrong side of the car.
Now if you never driven in London or learned to drive in one day the complete opposite of what you've learned your whole life, it's kinda tough. No wonder the rental car agency gave me glaring glances when I turned them down on additional insurance. I haven't been this scared of driving since I did it on a freeway for the first time in a driving school car in Minnesota.
We couldn't find any parking and the Locals were swishing in, out and around us scaring the hell out me. So we filmed what we could INSIDE of the car
As it turns out, Debi didn't have a heart attack and I survived the streets of London.
So here it is, you'll just have to see London on the fly, LOL
In this video we have Big Ben,Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, London Eye, Scotland Yard, St. James Palace, Harrod's Department Store, Natural History Museum and a few other things.
London
Here is our London lodging sponsor
Travel Joy Hostels
We survived London and headed to Poole to see my good friend Jan Simons who hosted and showed us around with her neighbor Neal. She took us on the first day to tour downtown Poole. You'll see the house of the first Mayor of Poole built in the 1500's and an alms house.
Poole city tour
In this video, you'll see a 800 year old church and the harbor that the city sits on.
Poole city tour 2
Jan took us out to a local pub to celebrate St. Patty's day. Check out the Celtic Rock Violinist band
St. Patty's Day in Poole
On the second day Jan & Neal took us on an excursion to see Poole park, Sandbanks and the island that the boy scouts were founded on. Then we hopped on a ferry to Studland; we passed right by the bunker that Churchhill hunkered down on D-Day and saw some beautiful English countryside.
Sandbanks, Poole Harbor and Studland
In this one you'll see the little village of Corfe and it's 1,000 plus year old castle.
Check out the thatched roofs and stone tiles.
Corfe Castle
In this one you'll see Weymouth where the 2012 Olympic sailing events will be held and another village called Salisbury.
Weymouth, Salisbury
The next 9 videos are of Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge, Nottingham, Sherwood Forest, Roche Abbey and Durham
On our second day of touring, Jan & Neal took us to check out Britians tallest cathedral & Stonehenge. They are the next 3 videos. What marvels
Salisbury Cathedral
Stonehenge
More of Stonehenge
In this video is Nottingham, you know the city made famous by Robin Hood.
We actually see a statue of Robin on the grounds of Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle
We're not finished with Robin Hood, we check out good ol' Sherwood Forest.
Check out the huge Oak Trees. Rufford Abbey is also included
Rufford Abbey-Sherwood Forest
Check out the ruins of this awesome abbey
Roche Abbey
Here we are in Sheffield
Sheffield
Here is our Sheffield lodging sponsor
Russell Scott Hostels
Here are a couple more castles in Conisborough & Durham
Conisborough, Durham
THIS JOURNEY CONTINUES
ON TO SCOTLAND
click here to see it
Then continues below
The next 5 videos are of Carlisle, Penrith & Liverpool
In this video you'll see our entry back into England and the city of Carlisle and it's 2 castles.
What a fortress
Carlisle Castle
Here is yet another castle, our entry into Liverpool
and a view of it's downtown
architecture
Penrith Castle & Liverpool
Here is our Liverpool lodging sponsor
Embassie Backpackers Hostel
The Embassie owners Kevin and Andrea took us out on the town. But before that, they wined, cigar-ed and even told us a few jokes. From there they took us to the Philharmonic Pub-John Lennons' favorite hangout-even the toilets are protected by a preservation trust.
You heard right
Philharmonic Pub
Here is one of the biggest cathedrals in the world by square footage. This was so breathtaking
Liverpool Anglican Cathedral
The next 10 videos are of a Beatles Tour,
& the cities of Bath & Portsmouth
In the next 2 videos, Kevin Sr. of Embassie Backpackers Hostel tells us about the music scene in Liverpool back in the days of the Beatles and how he competed against John Lennon before he was a Beatle in a "Battle of the Bands" competition of which he won
Kevin Sr. on John Lennon
Kevin Sr. on the Beatles
Kevin Sr. took us on a beatles tour. The next 4 videos are of his tour.
In this Beatles tour, Kevin Sr talks a little bit about the Beatles manager Brian Epstein and where he lived. Then we see where John Lennon was born and about his personality
Beatles Tour
In this one, he shows us the Art School John Lennon attended; the Institute where Paul & George went to school; the Philharmonic Hall & Pub; a club where Kevin seen the Beatles play when he was 16; a famous club named the "Flying Picket" & the party place in Liverpool called the "Concert Square"
Beatles Tour 2
In this one he shows us the record store owned by Brian Epstein that John & Paul hung out at to listen to music; the office where Brian made a deal with the Beatles to become their manager; the Cavern Corridor & Mathews Street named "The Birthplace of the Beatles"; then we head to the famous Cavern Club where the Beatles played a lot in their early days. He shows us a wall right across the alley that has bricks with bands names on it who have played at the club
Beatles Tour 3
In this video we go down in the Cavern Club where a Beatles Tribute Band is playing-they look just like the early Beatles. But first Kevin tells us about the Cavern bouncer and a John Lennon tribute he helped make thats posted right on Matthews street across from the Cavern Club.
Cavern Club
In the next 2 videos we show the city of Bath, named after the springs that are in the city center of which the Romans built baths around them. I run into a local who corrects me on something I said about Bath-listen to what she says. We check out the inside of the Bath abbey and some street musicians
Bath
Bath 2
We show you Highcliffe castle & the modern city of Portsmouth-the birthplace of Charles Dickens. Check out the tall spire
Highcliffe Castle-Portsmouth
Here is the best castle we seen on the whole trip and what a fitting ending for our United Kingdom trip
Arundel
This journey continues on to New Jersey
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